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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29903205">Instructions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhWormsNice/pseuds/OhWormsNice'>OhWormsNice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Daredevil (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Cancer, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Matt Murdock is sad, Short One Shot, Unreliable Narrator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:54:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29903205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhWormsNice/pseuds/OhWormsNice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Instruction from someone moved on.</p>
<p>mentions of death and mourning.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Instructions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The funeral was over, and Matt couldn’t cry. Matt was out getting Foggy something to read at the little bookstore by the hospital when he crashed. It was sudden according to the doctors. Foggy was already going downhill, but nothing this bad. Matt reluctantly left his side, and he suddenly started dying. The one time Matt leaves, Foggy dies. It was like a cruel joke. A cruel cruel joke. </p>
<p>  Foggy’s parents and siblings mostly handled the funeral arrangement. Matt had locked himself into his apartment and was selfishly living off their sizable savings. His savings now. Not answering his phone or leaving for almost anything. Kristan referred all his clients to someone else. The only thing Matt really went to was the Will reading. Legal stuff and all that. A couple paintings, an extensive amount of money, the apartment, some old odds and ends from their college days, and a flash drive Matt had never heard of now belonged to him. Belonged to him, when they should belong to Foggy. </p>
<p>Foggy should still be here. Matt should cry, but that's not happening either.</p>
<p>Throughout all of this, Matt hadn’t cried once. </p>
<p>Between the numbness and the anger, it was just another thing wrong with him. </p>
<p>Matt is laying on his couch face up in his suit. The funeral was nice. Foggy’s parents did a good job. Played all his favorite music, had all his favorite food and everyone came together to share stories. Candace gave a wonderful eulogy. Matt didn’t say a word the entire thing. Jess gave him a ride home. He could smell the bourbon on her breath and salt water on her face. </p>
<p>His tie from the funeral was laying wherever it landed after being thrown. Matt planned to burn it and the suit when he got the strength to move. </p>
<p>Matt didn’t realize he fell asleep when he woke up. His mouth felt like a wasteland, more than something to eat food. On the coffee table, he could smell the plastic of a water bottle.</p>
<p>That’ll work.</p>
<p>Something clattered to the ground when he reached for the bottle. </p>
<p>Did Matt care all too much? No. </p>
<p>Foggy would, though.</p>
<p>After fumbling around to find it while still laying on the couch, he finally got up and felt around properly.It was the mysterious flash drive. </p>
<p>Matt had never used flash drives much, but this was Foggy, who trusted the cloud about as far as he could throw it. </p>
<p>Might as well see what's on it. Like Matt had anything else to do. </p>
<p>Miraculously, his laptop wasn’t dead after not being touched for almost a week now. </p>
<p>His text to voice walked him through, finding whatever was on the flash drive. </p>
<p>A recording. Play button. Play the recording.</p>
<p>“Hi Matt.”</p>
<p>That was Foggy’s voice. </p>
<p>“If your hearing this then I have passed away. Clench and open your fists and breathe for a bit. Be calm. Now I have a couple things to say.</p>
<p>1. I love you</p>
<p>2.After you’re done listening to this, go eat. There is soup from that one shop you like in the back of the fridge. Please remember to eat.</p>
<p>3.It’s going to be okay, Matt. Just promise me you won’t give up.On Daredevil or Nelson and Murdock or people or the world. I know that's easy to say from where I stand, but don’t give in.</p>
<p>4.You’re strong enough. You’ve always been strong enough. </p>
<p>5.You’re going to be afraid, The world may seem scary and foreign without me. That’s okay, for all “The Man Without Fear” you are. I know you still get afraid. So be afraid and then wash your face and go find my mom. Grieve together. I know her, she needs someone as stubborn as you to make sure she doesn’t bury her emotions.</p>
<p>6.You’re probably pretty sad right now. That’s okay too. Be sad. It’s alright. Know that the world will turn without me, and the sun will still rise.</p>
<p>7.I love you</p>
<p>8.Be selfish, take time to yourself to grieve and process. Go to church or whatever else you need to do. </p>
<p>9.Show Peter and Wade this video. </p>
<p>Peter, Wade, look out for him, for me. You always did, and I want you to keep it up. Thank you for dragging him home in one piece most of the time and sitting on him when needed. </p>
<p>10.Live. </p>
<p>Take your time and grieve, but then live. Take on clients, find something to learn about or find someone new to love, but keep living not just surviving.“</p>
<p>Matt sobbed over his computer as the message ended. Tears rolled down his face and onto the keyboard. A choked wail gets stuck in his throat. He sits there hunched over the laptop crying for the first time since they had diagnosed Foggy with cancer. </p>
<p>He had raged and screamed and everything else but cry. This was the last push. Matt sat there breathing and waiting for the tears to dry up. He got to hear Foggy’s voice one last time. </p>
<p>The apartment still smelled like him. His pillow was still beside his in the bedroom. The old plastic dinosaurs from his old desk were still on the windowsill. Foggy was still with him.</p>
<p>The tears finally stopped.</p>
<p>Matt got up to eat some soup.</p>
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